Cast Your Cares

Cast your cares on the Lord
    and He will sustain you;
He will never let
    the righteous be shaken.

~ Psalm 55:22 (NIV)

Unity...

How wonderful and pleasant it is
    when brothers live together in harmony!

~ Psalm 133:1 (NLT)

One Mind...One Voice...

5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, 6 so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

~ Romans 15:5-6 (NIV)

Peace in HIM

I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” 

~ John 16:33 (NLT)

Persistent Prayers

Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. ~ Ephesians 6:18 (NLT)

All Praise to God

3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, 4 and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay.5 And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see. ~ 1 Peter 1:3-5 (NLT)

Holy People

12 Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13 Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. 14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. 

~ Colossians 3:12-14 (NLT)

12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

~ Colossians 3:12-14 (NIV 1984)

A Chosen People

9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. ~ 1 Peter 2:9-10 (NIV)

Living with Him Forever

You will show me the way of life,
    granting me the joy of Your presence
    and the pleasures of living with You forever.

~ Psalm 16:11 (NLT)

Are You HIS Friend?

14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me. 

~ John 15:14-15 (NLT)

BUT...

4 But—

When God our Savior revealed His kindness and love, 5 He saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit.6 He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior.7 Because of His grace He made us right in His sight and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.

~ Titus 3:4-7 (NLT)

The Grace of the Lord Jesus

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. 

~ 2 Corinthians 13:14 (NLT)

Peace be with You

Dear brothers and sisters, I close my letter with these last words: Be joyful. Grow to maturity. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you ~ 2 Corinthians 13:11 (NLT)

Members of His Household

19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of His household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In Him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in Him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit. 
~ Ephesians 2:19-22 (NIV)

Be Willing to Learn

The earth is filled with Your love, Lord; teach me Your decrees ~ Psalm 119:64 (NIV)

When We Need It Most

So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. ~ Hebrews 4:16 (NLT)

Praise HIM!

Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. ~ Romans 15:7 (NIV)

Motivate One Another

24 Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of His return is drawing near. ~ Hebrews 10:24-25 (NLT)

Promise of Eternal Life Through Jesus

2 There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? 3 When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. 

~ John 14:2-3 (NLT)

Growth through God's Love

Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All glory to Him, both now and forever! Amen.

~ 2 Peter 3:18 (NLT)

Whiter than Snow

Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean;
    wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

~ Psalm 51:7 (NLT)

Right with God

Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law.” ~ Galatians 2:16 (NLT)

He Gave...

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. 

~ John 3:16 (NLT)

God's Plan of Salvation

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. ~ Romans 3:23 (NLT)

Keep Your Eyes on Jesus

1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.3 Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up. 

~ Hebrews 12:1-3 (NLT)

Alive in Christ

4 But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. ~ Ephesians 2:4-5 (NIV)

Press On...

12 I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. 13 No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. ~ Philippians 3:12-14 (NLT)

From Death into Life

24 “I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life.

Eternal Life...

13 I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life. 14 And we are confident that He hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases Him. ~ 1 John 5:13-14 (NLT)

Rejoice in the Lord

Be glad, people of Zion, rejoice in the Lord your God, for he has given you the autumn rains because he is faithful. He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before. ~ Joel 2:23 (NIV)

Live in Love

And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.

God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. ~ 1 John 4:16 (NIV)

Above All Else

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. ~ Proverbs 4:23 (NIV)